Cue the extroverts out there: Oh come on! Live a little! You're no fun! Correct. I am no fun in the spotlight because I have no fun in the spotlight. But a blog is like a spotlight I broadcast from myself, isn't it? The act of blogging itself is extroverted.
Like most people, I have both introvert and extrovert tendencies. I think it's crazy to think you're either or even though that's all the rage these days. While I tend to think of myself more as an introvert, I'm not ever afraid to speak up or out, connect, make eye contact, talk to strangers, meet someone for the first time, or anything like that, all of which are extrovert characteristics. I'm very forthcoming in person. But put the spotlight on me and I am a deer in headlights.
I think that has a lot to do with me being reserved, which can be misconstrued as self conscious or shy - while it's neither of those, it's definitely introverted. Shyness implies fear of interacting with and approaching others. I have no problem with that. I'm also rarely self conscious - I've done plenty of things that make me look the fool and just don't give a fuck about how I appear to other people a majority of the time.
So what's the difference between shy and reserved? Being reserved means I just typically prefer to keep more of myself behind a wall until I know you better. I reserve part of my real self, get it? It's a defense mechanism. I will talk to someone I don't know all the live long day in general terms about any number of topics, but I will likely not actually reveal much about myself. I excel at holding people at arm's length when I want or need to.
When you're in, you're in, so you might never have even seen the wall. I'm also good at hiding it from you when it is there, because it's not in place to make you feel bad. It's not a wall that's built to keep you out - it's a wall that's there to keep me in until I'm comfortable enough to take it down.
I think it's interesting to think about all the different facets of our personalities and what makes us tick. What's something that makes you tick? Do you have more introvert or extrovert tendencies?
Linking up with Kathy for Humpday Confessions
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